Blog – Page 16 – Quad Cities Senior Photographer

22Dec

Quad Cities Senior Photography | Rachel’s Gorgeous Session

You may recognize this beauty from the cover image to Moxie’s facebook page! The road to Rachel’s senior session has a funny story associated with it that I have to share. I met this gorgeous Geneseo senior when she came along to one of her friend’s senior photo shoots over the summer. As always, we were chasing the light at sunset and Rachel was not only serving as best friend support but as an awesome assistant. The last shots of the night I had set up some lighting equipment and somehow we lost a screw from one of the stands that was holding up a beauty dish and it literally went tumbling to the ground (in the middle of a field of flowers and grass with no chance of finding said screw in the dark). Rachel offered to help hold the light for the last few shots so that we could still get the awesome images that we had set out to capture, which was a huge help.

Fast forward a couple of months to the day of her session. It was one of those chilly early fall days, but Rachel didn’t let the cold steer her away from absolutely rocking the socks off of her session. We had the perfect location for shooting and there are a few images from her session that are some of my favorites from the year. This girl is so sweet and has this timeless beauty quality about her that reminds me of Audrey Hepburn. Without further ado, here are some of the smashing photos taken during Rachel’s senior session. xoxo

Moxie Design is an award winning boutique photography studio that specializes in providing a boutique high school senior photography experience in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas including but not limited to Moline & Rock Island, Illinois, Davenport & Bettendorf, Iowa.

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2Dec

Quad Cities Senior Photography | Zach’s Senior Session

Meeting up Zach and his mom Cheryl was an absolute blast. I knew that Zach was going to have an awesome sense of humor long before we met up when I read how he described his strong hatred for lettuce in the prep work prior to setting the final locations and let me tell you, he did not disappoint. If I laughed one time during his shoot, I laughed dozens of times. This super involved senior at UTHS wanted to incorporate his soccer skills into the session but more than that, he had some creative ideas that he gave to me before hand which resulted in some killer images. Congrats on your upcoming graduation, Zach! I can’t wait to see what awesome things your future holds.

Moxie Design is an award winning boutique photography studio that specializes in providing a boutique high school senior photography experience in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas including but not limited to Moline & Rock Island, Illinois, Davenport & Bettendorf, Iowa.

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30Nov

Quad Cities Senior Portraiture | Kennedy’s Rainy Day Session

This past summer was a rainy one, especially the months of June & July. That being said, the day we set out to shoot Kennedy’s senior photos was one of the worst storms we saw all summer (and for the record, this was maybe the third or forth time we had already rescheduled due to rain). We all set out, knowing what to expect, but having no idea of the amazing images we would capture due to the need to divert from the norm and seek shelter for 95% of the images. I absolutely love how genuine and sweet Kennedy is and one of the most awesome things about her is that she has no idea how incredibly beautiful she is. We had so much fun through the puddles, umbrellas, lightening and soaking wet shoes that I look back on her stormy session as one of my favorites of the year. Luckily, I was able to work with Kennedy on two additional shoots throughout the summer so we were able to get some outdoor (and unsheltered) photos as well. Cheers to this senior beauty and her awesome mom, Sharon, for making such a gloomy day be such a fun experience. Congrats on your senior year and all that the future holds for you, Ms. Kennedy!

Moxie Design is an award winning boutique photography studio that specializes in providing a boutique high school senior photography experience in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas including but not limited to Moline & Rock Island, Illinois, Davenport & Bettendorf, Iowa.

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24Nov

Quad Cities Award Winning Senior Photography | Featured – Alex

Meeting up with Alex was an absolute blast! We started off in the Crossfit gym to capture some images of him in is element. Not only did I learn a about this super popular conditioning program, but we got some pretty awesome images as well. After capturing some photos at a local park, we headed out to Rockridge High School and their football field to end the session showcasing Alex’s football skills. Fast forward a few weeks to his premier ordering session. I typically have one or two favorites that I’m in love with from each session and this was no exception. My favorite happened to be one of Alex and his mom’s faves, so I posted the image on Instagram and it got picked up and featured by a national high school senior publication – Awesome! Congrats on your upcoming graduation, Alex!

Moxie Design is an award winning boutique photography studio that specializes in providing a boutique high school senior photography experience in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas including but not limited to Moline & Rock Island, Illinois, Davenport & Bettendorf, Iowa.

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30Aug

The Quad City Times Reader’s Choice Awards Results Are In…

So the most incredible thing just happened – Moxie Design won the award for Best Photographer in the Quad Cities via the QC Times Readers Choice Awards for the second year in a row! On an excitement scale of one to ten, I’m at about one hundred right now. I can’t tell you how thankful I am for my amazing clients. A huge thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who took time out of their day and voted for Moxie – your support & loyalty mean so much.

In celebration, I want to cast a net out there the same way I did last year and offer a complimentary photo session to a high school senior who inspires you. It could be someone who has recently gone through a tough time or a person who is constantly going out of his or her way for others. Maybe you know someone who is an awesome volunteer, mentor or role model? Well if so, I want to hear from you!

What will they win? A vogue senior session with Moxie Design including hair & makeup at the fabulous Haus of Heir Salon along with an image package (total value over $1,000)!
*Session location must be within 25 miles of the Quad Cities and nominee must be a 2016 or 2017 graduate

What are you waiting for? Send your nominations via email to: [email protected] – or- click here for the form: Nomination Form

What to include in your email:
Your full name & their full name

What high school they are attending

How you know them

What you love about them

Why you think they deserve something like this

Thank you in advance for your nominations and be sure to share this contest with your family and friends. The deadline for submissions is September 30, 2015. Winner to be announced on October 7th!

Next up? It’s time to make a trip to the bakery. I’d say indulging in some amazing cupcakes is in order!

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29Aug

Quad Cities Senior Portraits | The Senior Experience Featuring Lakin

The day of Lakin’s session went by so quickly it all seemed like a whirlwind. Where do I even begin? My husband spent the afternoon with us filming a marketing piece showcasing “The Senior Experience,” which ended up being so much fun. We met up with Lakin, her mom Jana and cousin Cobey at Haus of Heir to capture the glam process as it was happening. Within minutes, it was like we were all old friends and the day had begun.

I could have never known before hand what an absolute natural Lakin would be in front of the camera, but wow, it was absolutely amazing. Getting to know Lakin and her family was so much fun and as we traveled from location to location, the photos just kept getting better and better. I was so excited for the last shot because we were going to be using a combination off camera lighting and smoke bombs, looking for an image that would be an epic combination of a senior photo and an editorial shot from the likes of Rolling Stone. Mission: Accomplished.

Happy senior year, Lakin! I’m so glad you were a Moxie girl!

If you want to see her video, check it out:

Moxie Design is an award winning boutique photography studio that specializes in providing a boutique high school senior photography experience in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas including but not limited to Moline & Rock Island, Illinois, Davenport & Bettendorf, Iowa.

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28Aug

Quad Cities Senior Portrait Experience | Rachel’s Model Session

Rachel was my first model to go through the Moxie Senior Experience complete with hair and makeup (at the amazing Haus of Heir). We met up at the salon so that I could document the glam process before we hit the road to start her photos. It was a super sunny day so we started out shooting near an ivy wall and quickly realized that there was an awesome building across the alley – that’s where the magic began. This girl has the most beautiful eyes and when she smiles they absolutely light up, which made her so much fun to photograph. I had so much fun working with my girls this summer and am so sad to say that we have finished our last photo session. That being said, I don’t think that my camera has seen the last of this beauty. Congratulations on your senior year, Rachel – I’m so glad that I could be a part of it!

Moxie Design is an award winning boutique photography studio that specializes in providing a boutique high school senior photography experience in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas including but not limited to Moline & Rock Island, Illinois, Davenport & Bettendorf, Iowa.

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18Jun

Quad Cities Senior Photographer | Miss Amazing Teen Iowa’s Editorial Photo Session

Last March, Juls was crowned the 2014 Miss Amazing Iowa Teen and she will be headed to the National competition in August. Although it was a gloomy (and rainy) evening when we met up for her session, her amazing personality took over and let me tell you, she rocked this shoot. We will be rooting for you at Nationals, sweet girl!
If you haven’t heard much about this pageant, check out how inspiring it is – http://missamazingpageant.com

Moxie Design specializes in senior, newborn, maternity, family, corporate, child, engagement and baby photography in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas including but not limited to Moline & Rock Island, Illinois, Davenport & Bettendorf, Iowa.

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26Feb

Quad Cities Senior Photography | Teen Choice Award for Best Senior Girl Image – Seniorologie 2015 People’s Choice Awards

Well, this day just went from good to great – One of my images was chosen as the Teen Choice Award for best senior girl image in the Seniorologie People’s Choice Awards! This is such a huge honor and I am so proud, excited and ridiculously happy to be included among such extremely talented photographers from across the country. I have to give a shout out to Talia Snider who rocked this shoot like nobody’s business! Ironically enough, I used this exact image on Facebook a few hours before I got the awesome news as the leader photo for a blog post on Senior Photography.

To check out all of the winning images, head over to Seniorologie’s blog- http://www.seniorologie.com/seniorologie-peoples-choice-awards-2

Moxie Design is an award winning boutique photography studio that specializes in senior, newborn, maternity, family, corporate, child, engagement and baby photography in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas including but not limited to Moline & Rock Island, Illinois, Davenport & Bettendorf, Iowa.

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31Dec

Quad Cities Photographer | 2014 – A look back

To say that 2014 has been an awesome whirlwind for both myself and Moxie Design would be a drastic understatement. This past year has provided me with some crazy work experiences, led me to some amazing clients & helped me to continue developing my creative eye and improve on my photographic skills.

To close out this year, I’m wanted to do a quick post about a few things that I’ve learned/experienced in 2014 and then share my favorite 20 images from 2014.

I am eternally grateful for the love and unconditional support that I receive from my extremely talented husband, Matt (not to mention the mentoring that he is constantly providing for me, as he too makes a living from behind a lens). Although his medium is video, we are able to bounce ideas and criticisms off of each other, which leads to a wonderful and mutually beneficial working relationship.
I’ve become best friends with Adobe Lightroom and can’t imagine editing without it.
Photoshop and I are still discovering each other and currently have a love/hate relationship.
I have learned that although technology is amazing and affords photographers a lot of leeway that they didn’t have so many years back with film, it also has it’s downsides. Cards that crash mid-session. Hard drives that wipe away weeks of editing (and in the process give me a heart attack). Internet signals that go down for no apparent reason right as you promise a client that their gallery will be up in minutes. Ahh, I digress.
I LOVE my clients. Meeting so many new people this year has been amazing. I’ve not only had the honor of capturing some sweet moments for them, but I’ve also welcomed so many of them into my extended family of friends, which is priceless.

I can’t wait to see what the next year holds and am eagerly anticipating the wild ride. There are so many things on the horizon between workshops and training, new equipment and experimental shooting techniques that I’m sure it will be a hectic but wonderful year. So, as I raise my glass (technically a Tervis tumbler) and sip this delicious beverage (Welch’s sparkling white grape juice) I would like to cheers to an incredible and unforgettable 2015. I also realize that maybe I need to get out a little more.

Now, for my favorite 20 photos of 2014. This was one of the most difficult tasks of the year for me. I realize that some of these images may not be the most exciting to everyone reading this, but they speak to me because of emotional ties or a milestone that I met during a session or a funny memory from a shoot. After trying to be politically correct, I threw caution to the wind and went with what images made my heart smile. Enjoy.

Well, that’s it for my first official top 20.

2015, let’s do this.

Moxie Design is an award winning boutique photography studio that specializes in senior, newborn, maternity, family, corporate, child, engagement and baby photography in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas including but not limited to Moline & Rock Island, Illinois, Davenport & Bettendorf, Iowa.

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